Red Sox: Napoli deal done

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On the first full day of baseball's winter meetings in Nashville, the Red Sox landed their man Monday. After weeks of pursuing free agent Mike Napoli, Boston reached an agreement with the slugger, pending a physical. The Sox view Napoli primarily as a solution at first base, although he also could provide depth behind the plate.

By FROM WIRE REPORTS

capecodtimes.com

By FROM WIRE REPORTS

Posted Dec. 4, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By FROM WIRE REPORTS

Posted Dec. 4, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On the first full day of baseball's winter meetings in Nashville, the Red Sox landed their man Monday.

After weeks of pursuing free agent Mike Napoli, Boston reached an agreement with the slugger, pending a physical. The Sox view Napoli primarily as a solution at first base, although he also could provide depth behind the plate.

The three-year deal is reportedly worth $39 million.

"Awesome addition to our team!" Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester tweeted.

The 31-year-old Napoli hit .320 with 30 homers and 75 RBIs as the Texas Rangers won their second straight AL pennant in 2011, then slumped to a .227 average with 24 homers and 56 RBIs this year as he became a first-time All-Star.

The attraction to Napoli is two-fold. First, he has a knack for grinding out at-bats by seeing a lot of pitches, which fits with Boston's long-standing offensive philosophy. Also, Napoli typically mashes at Fenway Park, belting seven homers and 17 RBI in 19 career games there.

Because the deal won't become official until the physical exam, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington wouldn't confirm it Monday, but he talk about why the Sox have been so drawn to Napoli, their top free agent target.

"He's a guy who gets on base, has power, could be a good fit for our ballpark," Cherington said. "We knew when we made the Dodger trade, when we moved (Adrian) Gonzalez, that we were going to have to find a way to replace that offense. I think we understood that power is probably going to have to come from a combination of guys. That's part of what we're trying to do this offseason, add offense in a number of spots on the roster."

Napoli would tilt the Red Sox' lineup further to the right, and Cherington admitted a desire to add another left-handed hitter to create more balance. With a vacancy remaining in right field, Josh Hamilton and switch-hitting Nick Swisher and Shane Victorino would be potential fits from the left side of the plate.

Victorino is a three-time Gold Glove winner, and Cherington said defense, particularly in right field, is important. Hamilton and Swisher possess more power than Victorino, although signing them also would require the forfeiture of a draft pick, not necessarily a deal-breaker, according to Cherington.

"For the right guy, whether it's this offseason or a future offseason, you factor that in, but it's not a roadblock," said Cherington.

Asked what characteristics he's looking for in a right fielder, Cherington joked, "Dwight Evans."

Thus far, the Red Sox have addressed holes in their lineup by adding catcher David Ross, outfielder Jonny Gomes and Napoli, even though pitching is their biggest deficiency.

According to Cherington, that's only a function of the market trends (outfielders have signed more quickly than pitching), not an indication of the club's priorities.

Boston is coming off its first last-place finish in two decades, a year when the Red Sox went 69-93 and lost 26 of their last 33 games. Manager Bobby Valentine was fired and replaced by John Farrell.

"You've got to add a lot of wins (from) where we finished to compete in this division," Cherington said. "I think players and agents understand that despite what happened this year, Boston is Boston. We're committed to having a winning team. We have a history of a winning team. We're going to commit resources to the team."